"Official" relationships?
Anyone who pays any attention to sports knows that there is a strong link between collegiate basketball and the National Basketball Association (NBA). College basketball serves as the unofficial training grounds for those players who are interested in auditioning for professional teams. Of course, there can't really be an "official" relationship between the NCAA and the NBA. After all the "student athletes" are there to get an education, right? (wink, wink) Still, anyone with a casual understanding of sports today knows that on some level commerce is king. Here are a few specifics on the relationship between colleges and the NBA.
See you soon
Increasingly, students are staying very short periods of time when they go to college. Now that players can't come straight out of high school, the players are doing their obligatory year in college and then heading for the pros. Of course, the NBA isn't going to complain because they are more than happy to start their process of showcasing the stars of tomorrow. Some critics have suggested a minimum age for the NBA, but the league is never going to be in favor of that because they want players as soon as possible. Fans don't like to see players go "one and done" at their favorite schools, but in a capitalistic society they can hardly blame the players.
Training ground
In this regard, college basketball is essentially the minor leagues for the NBA. It isn't portrayed that way and no one would ever officially label that as the relationship, but it is fairly obvious. Star players will always go on and play professionally. There is almost never a situation where a star player says, "You know what, I know I could make millions of dollars playing basketball. However, I have always wanted to be an elementary school teacher. So, that is what I am going to do." College basketball ships it's stars to the pros, and everyone else on the team just hopes that they can get a job now that their "dream" might not come to fruition.
Showcase
Of course, the NCAA plays a role in this process. By making the March Madness tournament such a big commercial event, they are essentially showcasing their players for scouts and NBA general managers. They can give lip-service all they want to their concern for academic achievement, but few people are buying it. People know there is too much money involved and any player that goes to the NBA represents a recruiting tool for the school in future years. The schools would probably like to keep their players around, but they rarely have much to entice them with in the big picture. Also, basketball is one of those sports where a fresh player out of college can have an immediate impact in a professional setting.
Popularity
People also have to realize that this relationship has changed over the last couple of decades. The 1980's were a time of immense growth for the NBA, as they went from obscurity to a multi-billion dollar industry. This caused the league to literally explode in appeal for college players who saw the financial opportunities that lay before them. Therefore, colleges struggle to compete with a potential job offer that will allow the college student to trade in their textbooks for millions of dollars in salary and endorsements.
Uneasy partners
Overall, it could be argued that college and professional basketball have an uneasy understanding about their respective roles. While there are those in the academic ranks that lament the decline of scholarship in America, there are also those that understand that money does play some role in the advancement of education. Therefore, there will always be those that crusade against the professional ranks and there will always be some who seek to increase the partnership. This creates a love/hate balance that will probably always exist.